Linda Burnside is a social worker and certified counselor (with the Canadian Counselling Association) who obtained her Bachelor of Social Work, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Educational Psychology, and Master of Education in Counselling degrees from the University of Manitoba. She recently completed her Ph.D. in social work at the University of Manitoba. Much of her work experience is in the field of child welfare, having worked as a child protection social worker, a therapist in sexual abuse treatment, as Assistant Program Manager with Winnipeg Child and Family Services, and as Authority Relations of Disability Programs with Manitoba Family Services and Housing.